Paying a higher rate

You can make payment at a rate higher than the hospital rate where the client cannot meet their continuing costs from the hospital rate of payment and any other income they receive.

You will need to take into consideration:

• the client's financial commitments and
• access to other income

Note when you are considering payment of benefit at a rate higher than the hospital rate, generally you do not take cash assets into account as rates of benefit payment are not subject to an assets test.

If a client is required to make Child Support payments and does not qualify for an exemption from Inland Revenue Child Support, you can increase the hospital rate to include any Child Support payments that are required to be apportioned from the benefit.

For more information about paying at a higher rate see:

• Guidelines for paying a higher rate

A client cannot be paid a higher rate of benefit (because of hospitalisation) than they would otherwise receive. Where their usual benefit payment is less than the hospital rate, you don't increase their benefit to the hospital rate (or any other higher rate).

A benefit may be paid at less than the hospital rate because of:

• the client's income (if it continues while in hospital)
• maintenance deductions or
• overseas pension deductions